Page 260 - The Toyota Way Fieldbook

236 THE TOYOTA WAY FIELDBOOK

the NOCTI (National Occupational Competency Testing Institute) test,
a written technical skills test lasting six hours, and they then proceeded
down a parallel path to that of manufacturing candidates.
The second major screening process was called a “day of work”—an
eight hour assessment process that was facilitated and monitored by
trained screeners. The focus for original candidates was to identify
potential leaders, and the emphasis was on basic leadership skills. (Later,
when the hiring focus shifted to team members (line workers), a major
portion of the “day of work” included a simulated workplace with
four hours of “work”—real physical labor.) The “day of work” included
individual activities as well as team activities, with the purpose of
evaluating each candidate for a specific skill set. The skills included:
◆ Technical knowledge (basic manufacturing practices)

◆ Technical skills and aptitude (use of basic tools)
◆ Problem solving (including problem identification and solutions,
both individually and with a team)

◆ Team membership (ability to function on a team)
◆ Team leadership (ability to lead a team)
◆ Critical thinking
◆ Communication skills (verbal and written)

The top layer of candidates were skimmed off, to advance to the next
step of the process, which was an additional leadership assessment.
This assessment was eight-hours long (perhaps part of the test was to
determine how badly a person wanted the job and whether they were
willing to give this much time to the process). The activities were similar
to those on the first day, but focused specifically on leadership. Those
who did not make this cut were considered later for team members,
or even team leaders. This advancing group was on the “fast track”
because of the need to fill the group and team leader positions first.
The skill set screened during this test were:
◆ Advanced problem solving (actual case example with written test)
◆ Training ability (actual training of a screener)

◆ Organization skills and time management (ability to plan, prioritize,
and delegate)
◆ Facilitation skills (leading a team activity)

◆ Team membership (this was always observed throughout the process)
◆ Individual leadership (a case example exercise)
◆ Team leadership (ability to lead a team)